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S1: It is well documented that people of above average intelligence, as measured by traditional intelligence (IQ) tests, often think and act irrationally. S2: Cognitive psychologists have been puzzled by this peculiar phenomenon because it had long been dogma in psychology that there should be a positive correlation between a person’s IQ and his or her ability to think and act rationally. S3: Recently, Keith Stanovich, professor of applied psychology, has proposed an explanation for this phenomenon. S4: He argues that IQ tests miss some of the most important aspects of how people make decisions in the real world, and that it is possible to test high in intelligence yet suffer from a cognitive defect called dysrationalia, which he describes as the inability to think and behave rationally despite having adequate intelligence.

S5: Research points to two reasons for dysrationalia. S6: The first is a processing issue related to the structure of the human brain, which has available to it a number of different mechanisms by which to make decisions. S7: Some of these mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally, but people often tend to avoid using these “higher-fidelity” mechanisms because using them not only requires significant concentration and energy expenditure but also interferes with other cognitive processes, causing people to feel uncomfortable. S8: As a result, people often opt instead to use processing mechanisms that are significantly more comfortable to employ and require far less processing power yet are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally; using these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms is not optimal for decision-making. S9: In fact, psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor have coined the term “cognitive miser” to describe a person who uses the cognitive path of least resistance in processing information and thus often makes poor decisions.

S10: The second source of dysrationalia, explains Stanovich, is an issue involving content. S11: He says that, in order to think and act rationally, people must acquire specific knowledge – rules, data, procedures, strategies, and other tools of cognition that cognitive scientist David Perkins calls “mindware” and that, when people are missing the mindware necessary for making rational decisions or solving problems appropriately, there exists a mindware gap. S12: According to this view, the larger a person’s mindware gap, the more apt he or she is to suffer from dysrationalia. S13: For example, a person without training in statistics will struggle to think and act rationally when faced with even basic decisions that require an understanding of probability.

According to the passage, which of the following is true of “lower-fidelity” mechanisms for processing information?

The use of such mechanisms is less uncomfortable than the use of some other mechanisms for processing information.

People who could be termed “cognitive misers” avoid the use of such mechanisms.

The use of such mechanisms causes people to score low on tests of intelligence.

These mechanisms were first discovered by psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor.

The use of such mechanisms always results in poor decisions.

According to the passage, which of the following is true of “lower-fidelity” mechanisms for processing information?

The use of such mechanisms is less uncomfortable than the use of some other mechanisms for processing information.

People who could be termed “cognitive misers” avoid the use of such mechanisms.

The use of such mechanisms causes people to score low on tests of intelligence.

These mechanisms were first discovered by psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor.

The use of such mechanisms always results in poor decisions.

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Text Solution:

We can see that the focus of the question is on “lower-fidelity” mechanisms for processing information.

So, to find the information we need to answer the question, we home in on the area of the passage where we saw ‘“lower-fidelity” mechanisms’ mentioned when we were reading the passage, which is the 2^nd paragraph.

Then, we can go through the answer choices and carefully compare each with what the 2^nd paragraph says about “lower-fidelity” mechanisms until we have eliminated the choices that are not supported by the passage and found one that is.

CORRECT ANSWER(A) The use of such mechanisms is less uncomfortable than the use of some other mechanisms for processing information.

Finding ‘“lower-fidelity” mechanisms’ in the passage, we see that “lower-fidelity” appears in the following context:

using these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms is not optimal for decision-making

Since ‘THESE “lower-fidelity” mechanisms’ is a look above marker, we can look in the sentence above to see what ‘these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms’ refers to.

We see the following:

processing mechanisms that are significantly more comfortable to employ

So, the passage says that “lower-fidelity” mechanisms are “mechanism that are … more comfortable to employ.”

Since, “more comfortable to employ” in the passage has essentially the same meaning as “the use of such mechanisms is less uncomfortable” in this choice, the passage supports this choice.

(B) People who could be termed “cognitive misers” avoid the use of such mechanisms.

Going to where “cognitive miser” is discussed in the passage, we see that “cognitive miser” appears in the following:

In fact, psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor have coined the term “cognitive miser” to describe a person who uses the cognitive path of least resistance in processing information and thus often makes poor decisions.

The agreement marker “in fact” indicates that this statement from the passage agrees with the statement that precedes it which is the following:

using these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms is not optimal for decision-making.

So, we can see that the passage implies that cognitive misers DO use ‘these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms,” which is the opposite of what this choice says.

(C) The use of such mechanisms causes people to score low on tests of intelligence.

This choice is not supported by the passage, which does not connect “lower-fidelity” mechanism to scores on tests on intelligence tests. The passage mentions “lower-fidelity” mechanisms only in the context of thinking and acting rationally and decision-making.

In answering RC questions, we have to be careful to stick to what’s supported by the passage. In this case, while it’s possible that the use of “lower-fidelity” mechanisms causes people to score low on tests of intelligence, that speculation is not supported by the passage.

(D) These mechanisms were first discovered by psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor.

Notice that, while the passage mentions Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor in connection with “lower-fidelity” mechanisms, it does not say that they discovered such mechanisms.

(E) The use of such mechanisms always results in poor decisions.

Notice that this choice uses the extreme marker “always.” So, we should compare this choice with the passage to see whether what the passage says is as extreme as what this choice says.

We see that the passage says, “using these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms is not optimal for decision-making,” and that a “cognitive miser” “often makes poor decisions.”

Notice that “not optimal for decision-making” and “often makes poor decisions” are not as extreme as what this choice says, “The use of such mechanisms always results in poor decisions.”

So, this choice does not match what the passage says.

Correct answer: A

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